The SMART-SMACNA Partners in Progress Task Force met in New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 25-26. Attendees, which included Local 25 (Northern New Jersey) Business Manager Joe Demark, Local 219 (Rockford, Illinois) Business Manager Joe Cook, Assistant to the General President Darrell Roberts and others, focused on labor-management strategies to secure and grow the future of the unionized sheet metal industry. Topics included maintaining sustainable growth, pro-union regulatory policies, recruitment and retention, and more.
Tag: Members Journal
North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) named SMART Local 276 (Victoria, British Columbia) and International Women’s Committee member Amy Carr one of four Tradeswomen Heroes Award-winners in September, noting her leadership, mentorship and ongoing efforts to make a difference in her union — and in the Canadian labour movement.
“Amy Carr is a trailblazing member of our SMART union,” Local 276 declared in its Tradeswomen Heroes nomination letter for Carr.
Carr made history when she joined Local 276 as one of the first women in commercial HVAC and welding systems. Now, she leads the metal fabrication department at Lewis Sheet Metal and devotes her free time to spreading the word about the trade, both as a part-time instructor at Camosun College — where she teaches sheet metal to first-year students — and by promoting her craft to school district programs across Victoria.
“Sister Carr is known for her strong community involvement,” the local wrote. “She joins mentorship programs, visits schools to share her knowledge, and supports not-for-profit groups like HeroWork. She also organizes Local 276’s annual car show, which raises money for our local children’s hospital. In 2018, The B.C. Construction Association gave Sister Carr a leadership award for her great work.”
Alongside mentoring, community service and instructional work, Carr dedicates herself to various committees intended to make the trades more welcoming and inclusive for all. She was a founding member of the B.C. Centre for Women in the Trades, a director at-large for the B.C. Tradeswomen Society and worked with the B.C. Construction Association to create the “Don’t Be a Tool” program.
“Sister Carr’s true strength is her infectious spirit in SMART, mentoring many and paving the way for future tradeswomen. Her current project, a mentorship program with the BC Construction Association, shows her commitment to nurturing talent from all backgrounds,” the local noted.
“[Her] achievements, support and mentorship make her a true Tradeswomen Hero, deserving of the NABTU Tradeswomen Heroes Award,” Local 276 wrote in its nomination.
Education Dept. hosts second annual Production Institute
The SMART Education Department held its second annual Production Institute in Indianapolis, Ind., during the week of September 9th — bringing SMART production members and leaders together to build knowledge, skills and camaraderie, and to strategize for the years ahead.
The Production Institute is a three-year, progressive-format class, with attendees from last year advancing to the second round of courses. A new first-year class attended this year, along with the returning 2023 group.
All classes included production-focused content in the core areas of collective bargaining, steward training, organizing and labor history. Attendees also learned about more timely issues in daily breakout sessions on topics such as labor/labour law updates, the open shop agenda and Project 2025, a MEMO focus group, bias and belonging, and the production salting program. Through interactive exercises, attendees were able to apply their knowledge and develop their skills while also getting to know their peers from across North America.
New Representatives class helps latest crop of SMART leaders develop skills
Newly elected and appointed SMART representatives traveled to Linthicum Heights, Md., during the week of September 16th, 2024, to build bonds and learn from one another in the SMART Education Department’s New Representatives I class. The new representatives worked in different groups on activities associated with topics like member misconduct, jurisdictional disputes, contract administration, pre-job meetings and crafting local union meeting reports. In addition, participants built a leadership growth plan to identify areas they would like to develop more as leaders and created specific goals around each item to help them grow throughout their careers.
Education Department hosts class on so-called “right to work” to boost member engagement, organizing
The SMART Education Department held its new “Right to Work and Member Retention” class in Detroit, Mich., during the week of September 30th. The class focused on the open shop movement, the impact of so-called right to work, strategies for improving membership retention, and the critical role that union leaders play in maintaining local union power.
Twenty-three participants from across our union worked together to problem solve and create action plans for their respective locals. The class also took time to celebrate the repeal of Michigan’s right-to-work law and the role that Michigan Locals 7 (Lansing), 80 and 292 (both Detroit) played in that process.
“Everyone’s hard work will help strengthen our union!” said SMART International Instructor Richard Mangelsdorf.
In late September, SMART announced a brand-new maternity leave benefit fund — part of our union’s wholesale commitment to supporting, welcoming and retaining women and new mothers in the sheet metal industry.
The benefit fund, jointly funded with SMACNA as part of the Sheet Metal Industry Labor-Management Cooperation Fund, is designed as a reimbursement for local unions participating in health and welfare funds. During pregnancy, the fund will reimburse up to $800 per week beginning in the second trimester; after pregnancy, the benefit will reimburse up to $800 per week for six weeks (with two additional weeks — eight total — available for Cesarean deliveries). In total, the benefit provides for a combined reimbursement of 26 weeks.
“We believe this will empower SMART tradeswomen, so they no longer feel that they need to choose between having children and having a career in our industry,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “I’m proud of everyone involved for their tireless work on this important initiative, which will help bring more sisters into our union and our trade.”
“We all realize this is an important commitment to make to the industry, so we’re happy to partner with SMART to try to make the world a little bit better,” added SMACNA CEO Aaron Hilger during a webinar announcing the benefit fund in late September.
Along with childcare, pregnancy and childbirth are regularly cited by women in the building trades as major obstacles — both when starting their careers, and for staying in the trade. Local 265 (Carol Stream, Ill.) journeyperson Danielle Wilson, the first recipient of a maternity leave program at her local union, believes the new International maternity leave benefit fund will help strengthen and grow SMART for years to come.
“I think it’s going to be a huge selling point,” Wilson said. “We’re so well paid and our benefits are amazing, and our retirement’s so good, but the U.S. is one of only a handful [of countries] … that don’t have maternity leave.”
“To know that this is a profession that has maternity leave, I think it’s going to be a huge, huge point on bringing more women in,” she added. “To know that our unions are looking out for us by saying, ‘hey, not only do you have this great pay, these great benefits in retirement, but if you decide to have a family, we have your back for that, too.’”
The maternity leave benefit fund launched January 1, 2025. For more information, please contact SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina.
In fall 2024, CSX Railroad announced plans to change how the carrier moves freight between Chicago and the East Coast; a plan that would have forced more than 120 SMART-TD members to choose between relocation from Cleveland to either Buffalo, N.Y., or Willard, Ohio — or be laid off.
SMART-TD officers and former Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown took action in response. And with the senator’s help, union railroad jobs stayed in Cleveland where they belong.
“[Senator Brown] said, ‘Hey look, your plan is very flawed and you’re definitely affecting Ohio workers in a negative way.’ And here we are [now], talking about creating more jobs for Ohioans,” said SMART-TD Ohio State Safety and Legislative Director Clyde Whitaker.
The fight for Cleveland railroaders started when CSX unveiled a plan to streamline its operations in Northern Ohio by reducing train stops and crew members at Collinwood Rail Yard. This streamlining predominantly depended on employees moving to Buffalo or Willard — 180 miles and 80 miles away from Cleveland, respectively.
“With the crews in Cleveland, there was a lot of panic and a lot of ‘what if,’” said Ryan Fries, SMART-TD Local 378 vice local chairperson. “‘Are we going to have to drive three and a half hours to work? Is my spouse going to have to change jobs?’”
“Their whole plan was contingent on us moving, because they needed the manpower to go with their plan,” added SMART-TD General Committee GO-049 Assistant General Chairperson Eric Kosinski.
According to CSX, this was a positive development — one that would actually create jobs, Fries said. But, he added, phase three of CSX’s plan was essentially a full shutdown of Collinwood Yard. After a conversation with CSX Superintendent Darin Hershiser, Whitaker agreed.
“In the 24 years I’ve been here, whenever I hear that word [streamlined], that tells me you’re shutting the entire place down and we’ll get a barebones operation. Which, coincidentally, was their plan.”
That’s when SMART-TD reached out to former Senator Brown, asking him to help broker a meeting between TD and CSX. Brown took action, issuing a public letter that called on CSX President and CEO Joseph Hinrichs “to meet with workers as soon as possible and reverse plans that would remove train stops and train crews from the Collinwood Rail Yard facility in Cleveland.”
“In the strongest possible terms, I urge you to reverse CSX’s strategy concerning Collinwood staffing,” Brown wrote. “CSX recorded more than $3.7 billion of profits last year. Instead of cutting positions at Collinwood, CSX should pursue safer and more reliable operations by investing in hiring in Cleveland and across your company’s rail network.”
The combined efforts of union labor and a pro-worker senator paid off: SMART-TD officers met with CSX and were able to devise a solution.
“We were actually able to implement a plan that created more jobs for the area,” Fries concluded.
Hundreds of railroaders, along with friends, family and labor supporters, gathered at Boston’s historic South Station in October to rally for fair wages, sick leave, maternity days and other essential benefits.
The event was coordinated by a coalition of rail labor organizations, including SMART-TD, the AFL-CIO, IAM, ATDA, BRS, TCU and IBEW. Workers and allies confronted Keolis, the French-owned passenger rail operator of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which has neglected negotiations since the previous contract expired July 1, 2022.
The rally featured passionate speeches from local Boston elected officials, four members of Congress and representatives from multiple rail unions.
SMART-TD was represented by Deputy National Safety and Legislative Director Jared Cassity, who emphasized the importance of solidarity among the unions.
“Today is our day. Now is the time to get the contract you all deserve!” Cassity declared. “It does not matter if you are an engineer. It does not matter if you are a conductor, if you’re a signalman, a dispatcher, a track worker; whatever the issues are, they are OUR issues. And the only way we fix them is when we stand together, and we fight together!”
Keolis has been accused of failing to bargain in good faith with SMART-TD and the other unions representing their workforce. As Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley pointed out in her speech, Keolis workers are paid 12% less, on average, than their counterparts on Amtrak to move the same passengers in Massachusetts.
Congressman Steve Lynch added that Keolis is contracted out by MBTA to run the commuter rail system in Boston, and the company’s contract is coming up for bid. He made it clear that if Keolis doesn’t come to the table and get serious about retaining the frontline workers who keep Boston trains running safely and on time, it will be replaced by a contractor that will.
More than 50 SMART-TD members attended the Oct. 23 rally, as well as brothers and sisters from SMART Local 17 and the Northeast Regional Council. The overwhelming message was clear: Workers will continue to fight for a fair agreement until they have a new contract.
“We showed Keolis that workers, riders, our congressional delegation and the whole Massachusetts labor movement is behind us in our fight for a fair contract,” said New England Safety & Legislative Director Dave Stevenson.
SMART-TD is taking action to confront the rise of transit assaults with the launch of our new Assault Reporting Form. We can fight for real change when we can present our own proof of verbal and physical assaults that we face in the line of duty. Our online form, available through the SMART app or website, makes this easy to do.
View the Assault Report Form ►
If you experience an assault, please take a few moments to use the Assault Reporting Form. The form is user-friendly and designed to be filled out in just a couple of minutes. We urge all transit members to report every single hostile encounter. We want overwhelming numbers.
Access the Assault Reporting Form through the SMART-TD website under the “Get Involved” menu or through the SMART App. The app is free and available for download on all platforms by searching for “SMART Union” in the app store for your device.
SMART-TD to independently fact-check management data
Workplace violence against transit employees is an enormous concern for all of us. Before today, incident details have been collected and self-reported by transit agency management. We suspect that they often underreport the number and severity of these incidents. SMART-TD’s Bus and Transit Assault Prevention and Safety (BTAPS) Committee is changing this narrative by empowering each of us to report incidents directly, allowing SMART-TD to reflect the true extent of the problem. This is one way we can use our collective power to hold our employers accountable.
Speaking truth to power in Washington
This initiative was discussed during SMART-TD’s First “Bus/Transit Day On The Hill” in August 2024. Our union delegation met with Veronica Vanterpool, acting administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) at the time of writing, where she expressed her support for our efforts. Vanderpool requested access to the data we collect, so the FTA can cross-reference our reports with those sent by transit companies. She wants to ensure a comprehensive view of the number and severity of assaults that we face.
SMART-TD will push the current administration to take the same worker-first approach to this crisis.
SMART-TD’s delegation included Bus Vice Presidents Alvy Hughes and James Sandoval, SMART-TD’s National Legislative Department, and BTAPS Committee Chairperson Christine Ivey.
Holding transit companies accountable if they underreport
If our findings reveal that transit companies are intentionally underreporting assaults, Vanterpool assured us last August that the FTA will use its federal authority to hold employers accountable. And even with the change in presidential administrations, obtaining this data gives us more power to inform industry leaders, governmental officers and the public. This is a vital opportunity where we as a union can take a stand, advocate for our own safety and shine a light on the alarming frequency of the assaults we face.
Our incident reports are gathered by the chair of the BTAPS Committee, and the proper State Safety and Legislative Director, General Committee Chairperson, as well as SMART-TD’s Deputy National Safety and Legislative Director Jared Cassity.
The information we gather on the SMART website and app is protected. Details included in your reports, including the name of who filed each report, are kept confidential. Your manager will not know that you filed a report.
As SMART-TD members, we all demand a safe work environment. Our participation is crucial in making our voices heard. Together, we can highlight the severity of transit assaults and work towards meaningful change. The data we collect will not only inform regulators but will also empower us to advocate effectively for the rights and safety of our brothers and sisters in the field.
In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton — and the catastrophic damages inflicted on communities across the Southeast — SMART members union-wide banded together in solidarity, mobilizing to offer support to members and families in need.
“We make sure our members are taken care of,” said Local 5 (East Tenn., North Ga., Southwest Va. and N.C.) Business Manager Christian Fuller. “I want to personally thank all who were involved and the International for their help.”
Hurricane Helene hit the United States on September 26, with Milton making landfall just two weeks later — devastating broad swaths of Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky. Members, families and communities all felt the brunt of these disasters; many lost power and experienced extensive damage to their homes and livelihoods.
In the immediate aftermath of both hurricanes, SMART sent targeted emails and texts to members in impacted states, providing information on the SMART Disaster Relief Fund and instructions on the fund’s use. International leadership also maintained contact with officers at affected local unions, and General President Michael Coleman sent a letter to all local unions and International staff outlining the materials needed and local union distribution centers to send donations to.
The swift local and International action yielded results.
“The Disaster Relief Fund granted two local block grants and 13 member grants, and many members were also supplied with necessities from their locals and donations from General President Coleman’s mobilization letter,” said SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina. “The fund has provided $100,000 in grants.”
Locals 5 and 399 (South Carolina) were able to secure generators, power cords, chainsaws, ice machines, water, coolers and nonperishable food, helping sustain members across their jurisdictions. Local 85 (Georgia) and Local 435 (Jacksonville, Fla.) also leapt into action, working with the International and mobilizing local staff to help members confronted with property damage, debris clearage and, in some cases, the inability to leave their homes.
The same spirit of solidarity helped provide aid to SMART-TD members.
State Safety and Legislative Director Adren Crawford from Tennessee, along with Brother Jason Caldwell and other members of Local 1162 from Erwin, Tenn., donated funds and actively secured and distributed generators to affected members of their local.
Tommy Gholson and General Committee 898, as well as State Safety and Legislative Directors Clyde Whitaker from Ohio, Louis Costa of California, Jeff Mitchell of Kentucky and Don Roach of Michigan all stepped up to make donations. General Chairpersons Rick Lee of GCA 049, Brian Killough of GCA 513 and Luke Edington of GO 953 also offered significant contributions to bolster recovery efforts. Killough and the GO 513 members he represents raised an additional $12,000 for the relief fund.
And the UTU Insurance Association — SMART-TD’s in-house insurance company — added a $5,000 donation in the days following Hurricane Helene.
Overall, General President Coleman noted, the hurricane recovery effort put the principles of our organization into practice.
“Solidarity isn’t just a value that ties us together; it’s an action we take to support each other and fellow members of the working class,” he explained. “No matter your job, whether you’re a sheet metal worker, a bus operator, a railroader, we take care of each other.”
The SMART-TD Safety and Legislative Boards for the state of Virginia and Washington, DC, have voluntarily merged. This decision, voted into effect by both boards on November 15, will streamline operations and create a more unified voice at local, state, and federal levels.
Ronnie Hobbs, Virginia’s current safety and legislative director, will lead the combined body. Jarad Jackson, DC’s safety and legislative director, will serve as vice chairperson for Passenger Rail Service, while Ray Miller, Virginia’s alternate legislative director, becomes vice chairperson for Freight Rail Service.
“By pooling resources, the leadership team is better equipped to advocate in Richmond, the DC Mayor’s office and on Capitol Hill,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs added: “This merger strengthens our collective power. Together, we’ll be more effective in advocating for the issues that matter most to our members. The new structure marks a stronger, more cohesive effort to address the region’s pressing challenges.”
Safety for Amtrak conductors remains a key priority
The merger addresses member challenges in Virginia and DC, where many activities span the boundary between the two regions. Combining the boards will focus resources and legislative activities while spending fewer resources coordinating efforts. We can act as one because we are one.
Safety remains their top priority, with a focus on addressing staffing shortages at Amtrak’s Union Station, where conductors are often required to work without an assistant conductor.
Please note that a full list of 2024 SMART sheet metal scholarship winners is available here, and information on 2025 scholarships is available here.
The following essay by Gwen Burbridge, Local 91, was selected as 2024’s best scholarship entry essay:
Growing up in a union household has provided me with a lot of opportunities that others have not had, and I feel extremely grateful. My dad is a hard-working member of the sheet metal workers union, which has provided our family with a steady income, good health insurance, a sense of community, and a strong set of ethics.
Having a steady income meant that when I was growing up, we never had to worry about how we were going to afford the basic necessities, and I knew that I could participate in extra activities without it being a financial burden on the family. As a child, I was able to play travel sports which required equipment, hotel stays, and travel expenses. I was able to take art classes and Spanish classes as a child. Our family takes yearly vacations, and I’ve had the opportunity to visit sixteen different National Parks and twenty-three different states. I’ve also visited a few out-of-town union halls too, so my dad can add to his T-shirt collection!
Most importantly, my dad’s income allowed my mom to stay home with us when we were little, giving us a strong foundation in our most formative years. My dad’s union wages also paid for my mom to go back to school when we were older so she could start a new career as a teacher, making her a union member too.
Personally, I am thankful for the amazing health insurance that comes as a union benefit. While I don’t remember it, I was born with a birth defect that eventually required surgery at age two. My parents always talk about how the doctors ran the tests needed to discover what most doctors would have missed had I been underinsured. I’ve also had regular dental check ups and braces while knowing that quite a few of my peers had to set up payment plans for theirs because they didn’t have the insurance.
As a competitive multi-sport athlete, I’ve incurred my fair share of injuries over the years. I’ve watched some of my teammates’ parents tell them they had to wait to be seen by a doctor, or couldn’t afford a co-pay. This has never been a consideration for my parents, and when they knew I was injured, they didn’t hesitate to take me to the doctor. I had ACL and meniscus surgery in June, and the surgery and weekly physical therapy benefits have been outstanding. I have been to some of the best doctors and specialists in my area, and I can trust that decisions regarding my health are never based on financial decisions, but based on what is truly best for my health and well-being.
Another thing I love about being part of a union family is the sense of community I feel. We frequently attend events such as the Labor Day Parade, and local hockey or baseball games sponsored by the union. I can feel a sense of pride when I attend these events from both union members and their extended families. I’ve gotten to know other kids my age whose parents are also sheet metal workers, and made some new friendships along the way.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate the dinnertime discourse and discussion about topics in the news. We have family discussions about the importance of fighting for workers’ rights and fair pay, and how your vote matters when it comes to these important issues. One of the first items I checked off of my to-do list when I turned eighteen last month was to register to vote so my voice could also be heard. I plan to study business marketing in college with a minor in nonprofit leadership and development so I can continue to advocate for those who are underemployed, underinsured, and not receiving the fair treatment they deserve from their employers.
My experience as a union family member has set me up for a lifetime of success. I have been provided with the academic and social opportunities needed to be successful in college and I’ve had high quality medical care to ensure I was living a fulfilling and healthy life. I’ve developed a strong sense of respect for my community, and the ethics to do what is right. I have no doubt this strong foundation built on union values will take me far in life.